Oscars Wrap Up 2023

Another year, another Oscars! I thoroughly enjoyed the show and I thought Jimmy Kimmel was a fantastic host.  I hope he is back next year.  Some general observations:

More of the speeches were about something inspiring rather than lists of thank you's. I cried over and over again! So many beautiful thoughts about believing in your dreams, about storytelling, and even about animation as true cinema.

I renew my objection to the In Memoriam segment (known to my family as the Necrology Report) and the Director moving the camera around so much so that we can't see the name and picture of the person on the screen. I get it, nobody wants viewers to check out and get bored, but that's going to happen no matter what the camera shot looks like, and surely there is a way to produce movement without making it harder to see what's on the screen. Have we considered putting the screens on a rotating display, and the movement of the display could supplant the moving of the camera so much?

Finally, I'd like to renew my advice to the nominees, especially those with multiple people accepting the awards. Write something down. Practice and time it. There is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing someone approach the microphone only to be played off the stage. There are 5 nominees on the whole earth and you know you're one of them, and everybody's mom wants to be thanked. There's nothing worse than the microphone hog taking up 94% of the time and then another person losing their (perhaps) only chance to accept the award publicly. While I'm on a rant, there was one team who appointed a spokesperson, and that person thanked everyone's children and mothers and dogs on the whole team by name.  That's how you do it.

Best Picture

Everything Everywhere All at Once

I was thrilled to see this film win, and though the Daniels didn't seem to be prepared for more than one speech, I just loved seeing Harrison Ford and Ke Huy Quan hug.  

Director

"The Daniels" - Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once

I loved that they took every opportunity to talk about something lofty, and to thank their teachers!

Actress

Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once

It's a historic win with Yeoh being the first Asian woman to win this award. Her speech was magnificent and she is definitely not past her prime!

Actor

Brendan Fraser, The Whale

Ok for the record, I'm utterly thrilled but I was a little bit worried about him last night! He seemed like he was about to hyperventilate. I know there are a lot of big feelings about this film, but there is no denying that Fraser gave a gut wrenching and beautiful performance.

Supporting Actress

SHUT UP! she says as her name is announced, and I'm pretty sure we all just won that Oscar.  Isn't it nice how many long time actors with their first nominations have also won the big award.  Go Jamie Lee.  You've never seen anyone so happy for others, as happy as she was for herself.

Supporting Actor

Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once

This guy has been on incredible run, and to win this award with Harrison Ford and Stephen Spielberg right there in the audience, I mean hello tears-fest 2023. I hope his phone is ringing with numerous projects and that this wasn't just a one-off. Is there anyone who seems to appreciate his career more? (and for an extra plug, listen to his interview on WTF, Marc Maron's podcast.)

Adapted Screenplay

Women Talking

Sarah Polley's got jokes! Yes, I was thrilled to see the words "Women" and "Talking" so close to each other, and this film was one of my favorites of the year. She owned that room and I can't wait to see more more more from Polley.

Original Screenplay

Everything Everywhere All at Once

It's not often that the Best Picture winner will win this category, but the exception proves the rule. This was a wild, wacky ride and I loved every minute of it.

Cinematography

All Quiet on the Western Front

I don't have much to say except that I appreciated how the film makers have acknowledged the key role that Cinematography played in their success.

Costume Design

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 

It's rare that a sequel will win the same award twice, but you can't argue with Ruth Carter and her spectacular costumes that somehow outdid the first film. (I still think that teddy bear shirt in Everything Everywhere needs its own award.) Those costumes were transcendent in so many ways.  Thrilled for Ruth Carter and her double win.

Film Editing

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Funnily enough, when I was counting my list, I had forgotten that I chose correctly and so I have updated my tally to 19/23. Not too shabby! This movie owes everything to the technical categories, as much as the performances and the writing. There's a scene which quick cuts through a bunch of multiverses that is unforgettable (and uncountable... I was trying to see how many multiverses were presented in the film, and I gave up the ghost after that scene.)

Makeup and Hairstyling

The Whale

I didn't realize how incredible the production of that makeup was, over and above the fat suit.  I still think that Elvis should have taken this one.

Production Design

All Quiet on the Western Front

I'm still in shock that Everything Everywhere wasn't nominated in this category and I think several people started getting nervous when All Quiet took this category.  Would All Quiet be the Parasite of 2023 and sneak into Best Picture? Nope.

Original Score

All Quiet on the Western Front

I would still like to have seen Banshees take this category, but those strong, low banging notes make this anti war film anything but quiet.

Original Song

Naatu Naatu, RRR

You know it baby! If you haven't see the film, see it. If you refuse to see the film, at least watch the YouTube clip of the scene in the film.  They couldn't nearly reproduce how thrilling it was on that stage and the song is a banger. BUT, I have to talk about Lady Gaga's performance of Hold my Hand. The woman arrived in a ball gown and gorgeous makeup, and removed all of that and gave the performance of a lifetime.

Sound

Top Gun Maverick

War films, sci fi films, and musicals always do well in this category, and I guess you could call Maverick war film adjacent.  Close your eyes and listen to those fighter jets flying and you'll know why this is the winner.

Visual Effects

Avatar: The Way of Water

James Cameron productions continue to dominate. This is a guy who has invented so much tech for the movies, he's even discovered new species living in the ocean during deep dives. He is the reigning king of all that is visual effects.

Animated Feature

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

Ok, I've done all my complaining about Pinocchio and I'll just say nice things about del Toro's advocacy on behalf of animation. But still, MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON should have won.

Documentary

Navalny

Folks, this is about the fight for democracy. Could we try to keep ours, at least? Seeing Julia Navalny there and speaking on behalf of her husband, well, let's just hope this keeps Alexei alive, even if he is never getting out of jail.

International Film

All Quiet on the Western Front

This year's crops of International films were excellent (though EO was especially difficult to watch), and with 9 noms, there's no way this wasn't going to win.

Animated Short

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse

This was their first film! Whaaaaaat?

Live Action Short

An Irish Goodbye

You gotta love the live action category. They so often go with the funny and heartwarming over the more serious, and I'm here for it (as the kids say).

Documentary Short

The Elephant Whisperers

I really hope you take the time to watch this film which I believe is streaming on Netflix. I love elephants and this one got me. What a sweet one.

The Whale - 3 nominations

Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling Adrien Morot Judy Chin Anne Marie Bradley

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Brendan Fraser

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Hong Chau

Charlie is an online University teacher, an estranged father, and basically a shut in who never leaves his home and never interacts directly with anyone except for his best friend.  His heart is broken (literally and figuratively) because his partner died, and is also broken because he is in congestive heart failure.  Visually, his defining characteristic is that he is extremely morbidly obese, and emotionally, his defining feature is that he sees the world of possibility, he yearns for honesty, he believes in the goodness and kindness of people.  His greatest ambition is to repair his relationship with his daughter who he hasn't seen in 8 years, and she is willing only if he will pay her.  His illness is severe and his best friend and nurse Liz begs him to go to the hospital, but he declines wanting to save his fortune to bequeath to his daughter.  Fundamentally, Charlie doesn't believe himself worthy of anything because of his size - not the love of the people around him, not the respect of his students (and he keeps his Zoom camera off while he teaches), not anyone who could share his life and ease his burden.  He is repeatedly visited by a young Christian missionary who wants nothing more than to bring him back to Jesus - this is never going to happen because his partner died by suicide over the church's guilt for being gay.

This film is good.  It is touching. It has garnered plenty of controversy for gratuitously leaning into Charlie's size, and making every element of his fatness grotesque. But the universal praise for Fraser's performance is there too, and I'm thrilled to have him back in the mix.  Brendan Fraser is a brilliant actor and he squeezes this role for every bit of raw emotion he can find.  The performance alone is worth it, and I found the film to be worthy, as well.  It's a little schlocky, to be sure, but for me, still worth seeing.  If you only have time for 3 of this year's nominated films, this is not the one I would choose. But if you've got the time and inclination, I enjoyed it and I might have even shed a little tear.